The Love Life of a Teenage Ino
by Frannehh
Summary: I look up at him; his face is the only thing I can see. The rest of the world is a multicolor blur. Tears spring to my eyes at his words. I can’t believe…did he…is this really happening? ShikaIno x
1. Prologue

**Hey! I'm really sorry I deleted 'A Summer Worth Remembering' to all you people who loved it. I just wasn't going anywhere with it…I wasn't getting reviews, and I didn't know what to put…**

**I WILL NOT DELETE THIS ONE! **

**Anyway, yay for new fics! This is ShikaIno, SasuSaku and a bunch of other pairings. Can't be bothered to list them right now…**

**So, yeah, enjoy!**

-x-

_Prologue_

"_Ino," his voice fills my ears. "I love you."_

_I look up at him; his face is the only thing I can see. The rest of the world is a __multicolor blur. Tears spring to my eyes at his words. I can't believe…did he…is this really happening?_

"_Ino…" another voice calls my name. A familiar voice; a female voice. "Ino!"_

**-x-**

Ino's eyes snapped open. She groaned. It was all a dream. But who was –

"Are you going to spend all lunch _sleeping_?"

Ino looked up. Her best friend, Haruno Sakura, was stood in front of her with her hands on her slim hips. Sakura sighed, irritated. She was wondering why she hung around with Ino.

"Mph…go away, Sakura, I'm sleeping…" Ino murmured, closing her eyes again. The face from her dream came to mind. She giggled, bringing her shoulders up to her ears. Sakura flicked Ino's forehead.

"No, I won't. You have five minutes to finish that homework that's due this afternoon." Sakura scolded in a motherly fashion. She tapped the textbook that poked out from underneath Ino's arm. The said blonde sat up, a frantic expression on her face.

"Shit! Oh, god, I wasn't meant to fall asleep _doing _the homework! I was planning on a nap when I'd finished!" Ino squealed, scrambling around for her pen. Sakura sighed again.

"Wanna copy mine?"

"Please."

**-x-**

Nara Shikamaru opened his brown-black eyes as the bell sounded, signifying the end of lunch. He sat up, regaining posture and acting like he wasn't just asleep. He wasn't sure why he tried to cover up his laziness and all-round carelessness; he was school renowned for it. It just didn't seem right, especially when the teacher was Miss. Kimiko Fujiwara, the hottest teacher to ever grace the halls of Konoha high. Every boy wanted to impress her. Every girl wanted to be her best friend. No wonder; she was an ex-model and actress.

Shikamaru stretched and yawned. He looked around him and sighed wistfully. It was almost the end of the school year, and he'd hardly made any new friends. He'd been moved classes at the start of the year, away from Sasuke and Naruto and Chouji, Sakura, Ino, Hinata…everyone he'd grown up with. He didn't know what to say about his classmates – except that they were loud, annoying twerps.

He suddenly missed his old school days like crazy.

'_Dumbass brain.'_

**-x-**

Sakura heaved a sigh of relief as the bell went. "Thank god for the school bell."

Ino nodded in agreement and gathered up her books. She shoved them all in her bag carelessly, bending one of them, but she hardly noticed. She waited for Sakura and the two of them walked down the hall to their lockers.

"Damn…why is math so boring?" Ino muttered, retrieving her textbooks for the night's homework. Sakura bought her head out of her locker and shrugged.

"It involves numbers and thinking." Sakura said. "_That's _why."

Ino laughed and closed the door to her locker. She twisted the dial so it was set to '0000' and waved over her shoulder to her friend.

"See you, Sakura." She turned her head. "Keep your cell on, tonight. I might SOS you, considering I don't pay attention in English."

Sakura laughed, waving back. "Okay, Ino!"

Ino's long, platinum ponytail tickled the back of her arms as it swayed from side to side in the breeze. She smiled as the sun illuminated her face. A tall figure appeared next to her.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Ino said cheerfully. "Long time no speak."

"Yeah, sorry. I've been kinda caught up with…stuff." Shikamaru said, closing his eyes and putting his hands in his pockets. "How've you been? And the others?"

"I've been good. Ditto them… " Ino said, her shoulders just brushing against the bottoms of her ears once again. She hooked her thumbs around her belt and looked directly at him. "Okay, since when do you ask after people?"

"Since I don't see you any more." Shikamaru scoffed. "I like to know if my friends are okay."

Ino nodded sarcastically. "Yeah, and Santa Clause lives with the Tooth Fairy and the Queen of England. You're even walking different!"

It was true; instead of his usual slouch, his back was straight and his head was up. Something was on his mind.

Ino sighed, looking away. "Sorry, I'm just…not used to you being like this. I guess you've changed according to your classmates, huh?"

"Oh, please kill me." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "If I have to be in that class next year, I _will_ sue. And jump off a building."

"And I'll bring you back to clear up the mess. They can't be that bad, can they? I mean, how - " Ino squealed as two boys her age burst in between her and Shikamaru. They were pretty short, and had identical expressions. The sort of look five-year-olds give you when you babysit them and their parents have _just _left. Ino cringed.

"Shikamaru, Shikamaru! Who's your hot friend?" one of the boys said.

"Yeah, I mean she is smokin'!" the other said. They knuckle-touched and looked at Shikamaru expectantly. Ino stood, mouth hanging open.

"Uh, this is Ino. She's a friend of – " Shikamaru sighed as devil child number one interrupted.

"Is she your _GIRLfriend?_" he asked. Ino's face tightened. Shikamaru flushed.

"Get. Outta. Here." Ino said through clenched teeth, cracking her knuckles. The devil kids pulled genuinely scared faces and scampered off to annoy some other innocent people. Shikamaru breathed out, exasperated.

"Man, just being around them tires me out." He looked at Ino. "Sorry about that."

"Who the – no, _what _ the hell were they?" Ino demanded to know, leaning back on her heels, arms folded.

"Hiro and Hisashi. They may look cute and cuddly, but don't be fooled." Shikamaru explained, glaring after them. "Just stay away and you'll be fine."

"Thanks for the advice." Ino said, rolling her eyes. "Way to state the obvious."

Shikamaru ruffled his childhood friend's hair playfully. "Oh, I gotta go. Mom said I have to help her fix the washing machine or something _equally as fun_."

Ino laughed, smoothing the top of her hair back into place. "Okay. Have fun fixing stuff."

She put her hand up as he ran off. When he was completely out of sight, Ino whipped out her cell phone to text Sakura: _Danger, a couple of perverted twerps are loose on campus! If you meet Hiro and Hisashi from whatever class Shikamaru's in , STAY AWAY._

On pressing SEND, Ino snapped her phone shut and began to run home before the twerps could find her again and say anything weirder.

If that was even possible…

**-x-**

Ino slammed into her house. "I'm home!"

Silence. Ino shrugged. _Maybe mom and dad aren't home_.

She glanced at the clock. Her mom should be home, at least. Weird. Ino ran up the stairs to her room, ready for a date with her small TV in her room. She jumped on her bed and pressed the ON button on the remote.

"Why's there never anything decent on at this time of day?" she murmured to herself, skipping through the channels. She sighed. Suddenly, an IM popped up on her computer screen. Ino rolled off the bed and crawled up to her desk.

"An IM from…" her jaw dropped. "Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru had never sent out messages randomly. You could only ever talk to him if you messaged him first, and him replying was a huge rarity.

"Ino," she read out loud. "I take it you got home safely?"

Ino's mouth widened. It wasn't like Shikamaru to do courtesy checks on his friends. It wasn't like Shikamaru to be _polite_. Something was definitely up.

Her hands hovered above the keyboard. She didn't know why she was hesitating; Shikamaru was one of her best friends.

"Yeah," Ino read what she wrote. "Obviously."

A few moments later, his reply popped up on the screen: 'You want to go to the park with me tomorrow?'

Ino's face flushed red. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. _Was that…did he…is he…_

In a panic, she wrote a simple reply and signed off:

'No thanks.'

**-x-**

**So this is a pretty short prologue, just to start off the story. I promise you, though, the proper chapters will be longer.**

**Please review!**


	2. Running From The Truth

**Yay, real chapters!**

**Uh…I don't know what to say now.**

**Enjoy chapter one.**

**P.S - A little OOC. Don't like, don't read. **

**-x-**

_Chapter One – Running From The Truth_

Ino took a breath. _What's Sakura going to say?_

"Come on, Ino, just spit it out." Sakura said, folding her arms. "In case you forgot, I can't spend my day stood here."

"Shikamaru asked me to go to the park with him this afternoon." Ino burst, not wanting to hold on to her 'secret' any longer. Correction; not _being able _to hold on.

Sakura blinked her large green eyes. Her face showed a mixture of emotions…surprise, confusion, and…

_Jealousy? _

That's what it looked like. Ino knew Sakura's jealous face when she saw it. This wasn't looking good. Sakura covered it all up with a smile.

"That's great!" she said falsely. "I'm happy. You should meet him – this could start you on your path down a brand new love life!"

Ino smiled back, trying to ignore the fact that if she _did _go, she might hurt her best friend. "Okay, I will. Thanks, Sakura."

Sakura nodded, and wandered away. Ino sighed, looking down at her shoes. Movement behind her caused Ino to lift her head and turn around. Oh, god. _Shikamaru_.

"So…yes?" he asked, no sentiment in his expression. Ino glanced away for a second, then nodded shyly. Suddenly, the penny dropped. She'd said no on IM last night, so…

"Nara Shikamaru, were you _listening in _on our conversation?" Ino spat, frowning. Shikamaru felt the ghost of a blush seep across his cheeks. _Crap, she caught me out. I thought she'd be too blonde to remember._

"Uh, may-be…" he said quietly, smirking. Ino clenched her fists and glared up at him. Realising that it wasn't such a big deal, she sighed and let it drop.

_I mean, who can resist those eyes?_

Ino mentally kicked herself. "It's okay. I'll…see you later…"

Ino's inner-self screamed as she hurried away. _Damn you, Nara. Why do you have to be so hot?_

**-x-**

Ino swallowed down her fear as she waited outside Shikamaru's locker. _Do_ _I really want to do this? I mean, he's one of my best friends… won't this ruin our friendship?_

The door opened. Ino looked away. Shikamaru was the first to appear.

"Hey, Ino," he said. "Glad you waited."

"Uh, it's okay." Ino murmured. This is was just _too _weird. About to go on a sort-of date with a best friend? It's as bad as marrying your cousin.

Shikamaru dumped his books and smiled. "Let's go."

Ino trailed along in silence next to him. Her shoulders retreated to her ears. Shikamaru turned to her, frowning.

"Ino, lighten up." He said. "It's just me. It's not like I'm Naruto or some sort of perverted molester. You don't have to be so tense."

"I - I didn't mean - I didn't mean to come across like that!" Ino cried, her face going red. "I'm so sor - "

Shikamaru put his index finger on Ino's lips, forcing a silence between them.

"You talk too much." He whispered.

Ino blinked and nodded apologetically. Once again, she followed him. Neither of them said a word until they reached the school's main exit.

"Hey," Ino said. "Why'd you ask me to the park all of a sudden?"

Shikamaru looked up, his face covered with the shadows cast by the building. "About that…we need to talk."

"When? About what?"

"It doesn't matter…I'll tell you later."

**-x-**

Once again, an awkward silence. Ino sat down on a bench. Her hair swayed slightly in the breeze as Shikamaru sat beside her. He rummaged around in his bag and produced a pair of sandwiches.

"Um…how long have those been in your bag?" Ino said, her eye twitching slightly as she felt the roughness of the bread. Shikamaru looked down.

"I…made them last night…I wouldn't eat that." He chuckled, taking the sandwich back and dropping them back into his bag. "Sorry."

"It's okay…I don't really like cheese anyway."

"Me either."

"So…what were you going to tell me before?" Ino asked, turning her head. Her ponytail fell over her shoulder. Shikamaru swallowed.

"Well? I'm waiting…"

"Ino," he said. "Do you remember…when we were six…the first time we met?"

Ino's ocean blue eyes focused on the ground in front of her. "No…I hardly remember what I had for dinner last night."

Shikamaru's face fell, as if her even partly remembering would make it easier.

"Do you remember…the fire?"

_Flames. Screaming. Heat._

_A small, blonde-haired girl stands in the middle of the room where the fire started, the place where it's at it's most dangerous point._

"_Mommy!" the girl screams. "Daddy? Help, somebody!"_

_The girl faintly hears replies from outside, but isn't sure; the crackling flames are too loud. She screams again as a small chunk of ceiling falls down in front of her. The dust from the plaster flares up, not helping the girls breathing._

_She coughs, her lungs suddenly collapsing inside of her. Tears stream down her cheeks as she thinks how these are her final moments._

"_Help, someone! Please!" she cries out faintly. "Anybody!!" _

_The girl falls to her knees, gripping her chest. The pain is excruciating. Another part of the ceiling falls in. The girls shoulders twitch, but she doesn't care. It's not like she has any hope of surviving anyway. The room starts to spin. The girls eyes begin to close; the door flies open and a boy with chocolate hair and army pants runs in. He scoops the girl up in his arms and runs out of the door again, down the staircase and outside into the cool November air. _

_Now it's his turn to fall to his knees, but he hangs onto the girl. He loosens his grip on her shoulders and knees as the people from the hospital take her and put her in the ambulance. As she speeds away from him, he runs away from the burning building and starts on his own shorter route to the hospital._

_He enters the white privacy curtain to see the same girl sat up in her bed, her lips pressed together in a tight line._

"_H-hello." He stutters. The girl looks up, her face emotionless._

"_What happened?" she asks._

"_You don't remember?"_

"_No."  
"I th-think it might be better that way." _

"_Okay."_

Ino's eyes widened as it all flooded back to her. "I remember."

Shikamaru looked at her. "Do you know that boy?"

"No. He just said…that it would be better if I didn't remember…" Ino said quietly. She clenched her fists in her lap. She suddenly gasped and stared at Shikamaru.

"The boy…it was you."

**-x-**

Ino stood up. "You…you saved me from that fire and I didn't even know your name, I - "

"Ino…"  
"No way. Oh my god, I…did they wipe my memory or something?"

"No."

"Then what? Why couldn't I remember?"

"_I _wiped your memory. My dad had taught me mind control."

Ino blinked, tears in her eyes. "Yeah…well thanks."

She turned and ran.

**-x-**

"It's all _bull_. I swear! I can't believe _Shikamaru _wiped my memory and saved me from a fire in one night." Ino yelled. Sakura was perched silently on the edge of Ino's bed, trying not to break down from the headache she was getting. She was trying to stay sane for Ino's sake.

"I'd just be thankful that he did that, even if he wiped your memory." Sakura said, holding back an irritated sigh. Ino turned to face her friend, hands on her hips.

"You've said that in response the past three things I've said. Are you even listening?" she spat, annoyed at Sakura's glazed eyes and her monotone voice.

"…I'd just be thankful that he did that, even if he wiped your memory." Sakura repeated in a flat tone. Ino let out an exasperated scream.

"If you don't want to be helpful then get out!" she shrieked. Sakura frowned up her her friend and got to her feet.

"You're the one who invited me over though in the first place!"

"Fine!" Ino walked out of her bedroom. She returned a few moments later. "This is my house!"*

"Wow, and the penny drops!" Sakura yelled back, stomping out of the room.

"Bleugh!"

"Bleugh!"

"Bleugh!"

"Bleugh!"

The echoes of childish noises bouncing back to the girls filled the house until Sakura slammed the front door shut, leaving Ino home alone.

**-x-**

**Hmm…This was a pretty short chapter.**

**Darn it… I didn't know what else to put though. OH WELL!**

**Hope you enjoyed it. ^_^**

***Taken from iCarly :)**


	3. Let The Jealousy Begin

**Right. This chapter WILL be longer. I promise. **

**Serious OOCness.**

**Please review. :)**

_Chapter Two: Let The Jealousy Begin_

Sakura glared hard into the back of Ino's head. Her jade eyes shone with the desire to stab her with her pencil.

_She irks me. Drama queen…_

Ino turned around slowly and glared back at Sakura, who turned her head in a stubborn manor. Ino sighed, tensed her shoulders, and returned her attention to the lesson.

_Don't let that loser get to you, Ino. Just pretend she's not there…_

Sakura rummaged in her pencil case and produced a scrap of paper; she drew a picture of Ino on the paper and cut it out with her scissors quietly. She jabbed her pencil through the dolls stomach.

"That's right, die…" Sakura murmured as the doll's chest ripped open. "Dumb Ino-doll."

"I heard that, Haruno." Ino muttered to her friend-turned-rival. "Shut it."

"Damn."

**-x-**

_Slam_.

Ino walked away from her locker, irritated about the doll incident. She and Sakura were fighting, but it still made her sad to know that her best friend made a voodoo doll of her.

"Hey."

Ino turned around slowly at the familiar voice.

_Holy crap, I'm being stalked. _

"Why can't you just leave me alone, Shikamaru?" Ino scowled. Shikamaru smirked, folding his arms across his chest.

"You're cute when you're irritated." He said, his face suddenly falling slightly. "I just…feel really bad."

"Yeah, well that's nice. If you're looking for forgiveness, I hope you enjoy being disappointed." Ino said angrily. She went to leave; Shikamaru grabbed her shoulder.

"You really know how to make people sad, don't you?" he said, frowning slightly. He chuckled in reaction to Ino's expression. "Kidding."

"Jerk." Ino slapped his shoulder. Hard. Shikamaru tried to hide the pain.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." He said.

"Right," Ino said quietly. "Okay."

She turned and managed to walk about two meters before being interrupted.

"So…am I forgiven?"

Ino winced. Slowly, she turned her upper body to face Shikamaru. "You saved my life and I didn't even know. God knows if I can even forgive _myself_."

"But it was my fault that you couldn't remember." Shikamaru insisted. "At least lighten up about it."

Ino forced an incredibly fake, plastic smile. "Happy?"

She turned around and left before he could reply. Ino didn't know where to go; Sakura had always been her lifeline. And now they weren't talking…

"Ino." A female voice said. The said blonde blinked. _That's…_

"Sakura." Ino said coldly at the pink-haired figure that had just left room 3-A. "What do you want?"

"Um…I heard that little…conversation with Shikamaru."

"You were listening in?" Ino said, a little louder than necessary. "Why you - "

"Ino. You were _yelling_, practically. It was kinda hard to _not _hear you." Sakura replied sharply, raising a sugar-pink eyebrow.

"Oh."

There was a silence between the two sixteen-year-olds. Sakura scuffed her shoe against the tiled flooring.

"Look…I'd rather sit for twenty six years watching grass grow in a window box than keep fighting with you." she said quietly, her green eyes focusing on her friend. Ino looked back at Sakura.

"Mm…" she nodded. "I'm sorry, I kinda…" Ino made a vague hand gesture. "Over-reacted."

Sakura put her arms out. Ino put hers out. They hugged.

**-x-**

Sakura sighed as she shifted her cheek into her palm. Last period was always worst, but hey, now that she and Ino were friends again, it didn't really matter.

"Sakura!" Ino hissed from behind. Sakura turned in her seat and blinked. Ino slid her cell phone across the desk, and Sakura took it, frowning in confusion.

"Second text message down in my inbox. Read it."

Sakura sighed once again and opened the message: '_Ino, do you want to meet at the park again today? We NEED to talk properly - Shikamaru.'_

Sakura turned back around and passed Ino the cell phone. She nodded eagerly, trying to look excited for her friend. Ino gave a small nod in agreement.

Sakura returned her attention to her Algebra textbook. She tried to focus on the questions, but she couldn't.

Ino was _en-route _for a real relationship. At least, that's what it looked like.

Sakura had never had a boyfriend, and probably never would.

She hated that.

**-x-**

Ino hesitated at the park gates.

"What the hell?" she murmured to herself. "I'm all nervous for nothing…ARGH! Goddamn it, it's _Shikamaru_ of all people! Why am I so worked - "

"Hey."

"EEP!"

Ino spun around at Shikamaru's voice. _Crap. He's here.  
_"You were going to bail out on me, weren't you?" Shikamaru asked, raising an eyebrow and giving his usual sexy smirk. "Don't worry, I don't blame ya."

Ino said nothing, but stared blankly back at him. Eventually she managed a shake of the head.

The couple walked in silence through the park towards the bench where they'd first sat together a couple of days before.

"Um." Ino said quietly. "Sorry."

"F'what?" (**A/N: Shikamaru talk for: 'For what?'**)

"Being such an asshole."

"It's okay."

Ino smiled. "So…you wanted to talk?"

Shikamaru nodded. Ino trailed after him as he wove his way through the park, finding a bench. When they found one, they sat.

There was silence for about three minutes.

"When I saw the building in flames," Shikamaru said quietly. "I knew there was someone in there. I couldn't just stand there and watch…I knew I had to do something."

"But…why? You didn't even _know _me."

"I knew you were in danger."

"Um."

"My dad always used to say…" Shikamaru looked up, shading his eyes with his hands. "_Never stand by and watch someone be harmed. _You were being harmed so - "

"I get it." Ino said. She rested her head in her hand. "I was so _stupid._ Over-reacting like that…you saved my friggin' life and I acted like you killed my family or something."

"It's okay."  
"No! It's not!" Ino yelled, standing up and facing her friend. "I treated you like an outlaw or something and you say it's okay?"

"Well," Shikamaru said, stretching lazily. "If it makes you better, your punishment is to run a lap 'round the park."

"Forget it, Nara." Ino murmured, turning her head down. "Can you just forget we were ever friends? Please? It would make me feel a whole lot better."

"I could never forget that we were friends." Shikamaru said in a hushed tone. He stood up. "_Never_. Remember that, Yamanaka."

He embraced her in a hug, burying his nose into the top of her head. Ino flushed red, her eyes widening. She was clutching loosely at his shirt; it couldn't have been comfortable for him, but Shikamaru still held on.

Rain started falling.

"Shikamaru…" Ino whispered. "You don't - "

"Shh." Shikamaru said to the red-faced girl. "Just...just let me hold you a little longer."

Ino ignored her pounding heart and near-exploding head. She relaxed her shoulders and put her arms around his waist.

_This doesn't feel right, hugging one of my best friends romantically, and all…_ Ino thought. _But I don't mind it._

_Whoa. Did I just say that?_

The rain was getting harder, soaking the teenagers through, but they still stood, still and quiet.

"Ino," Shikamaru said. "You should go home. You'll get a cold."

"What about you?" Ino murmured in response.  
"I'm fine."

_Yeah, you are._ Ino was tempted to say. Instead, she stuttered, "A-are you sure? I mean, you'd be all alone…I can stick around…"

"I don't want you getting sick."

"It'd make me happy."

"Okay."

**-x-**

"SAKURA SAKURA SAKURA." Ino babbled down the phone.

"Well, hi to you too, Ino." Sakura sighed, raising an eyebrow. "What're you all hyped up about?"

"Me and Shikamaru hugged."

"So…"  
"In the rain. Romantically. With no-one else around." Ino said, blushing at just the thought of it.

"Wow, that's awesome, Ino!" Sakura cheered. "I'm so happy for you."

"You shouldn't be! This is _bad_. _Really _bad." Ino said, ringing out her wet hair into the bathroom sink with one hand.

"How come?" Sakura asked, frowning. "You and Shikamaru look cute together.

"I'll give you fifty bucks to never say that again."

"Deal."

**-x-**

"Sasuke!"

The mentioned sixteen-year-old turned at the sound of his name. Sakura was running across the parking lot towards him, waving crazily.

"Oh, hi, Sakura." He said in his usual monotone. "What's up?"

"Ino and Shikamaru, that's what's up!"

"Yeah, Shikamaru's been acting a little weird recently. I wondered if it was something to do with Yamanaka." Sasuke said, smirking. "She's usually the one who causes trouble."

"I need your help."

"Oh?"

"We need to get them together. _Together, _together."

"You mean…make them into a couple?"

"No, Sasuke, make them into a cheese sandwich!" Sakura hissed sarcastically. "Yes, into a couple!"

"I don't know…Shikamaru's never been one for dating, has he?" Sasuke said warily, glancing down at the pinkette. Sakura had a pleading look on her face, her emerald eyes shining.

"Come on, Sasuke. Can't you see? They make each other so _happy_. Ino's my best friend, and Shikamaru is one of yours. Don't you want the best for a best friend? Hey, that's catchy." Sakura said, suddenly smiling at the last line. "So, yeah. Please?"

"Ugh…alright."

"Sweet! Meet me at city tower this Saturday, ten 'o' clock, and we'll make a game plan." Sakura said, beaming idiotically. "Thanks, Sasuke!"

On instinct, Sakura threw her arms around his neck for a split second, then ran off cheerily.

"Wow." Sasuke murmured. "Who knew something like that could make a girl so happy?"

**-x-**

"Ino."

"Go away, Sakura, I'm sleeping."

"Uh, it's not Sakura. It's Shikamaru."

Ino sat bolt upright from her lunch-time nap. She turned her head just in time to see Shikamaru pull up a chair beside her desk.

"Oh, hi. Sorry about that…" Ino said, smiling shyly. "I tend to have naps at school."

"You've spent too much time with me then." Shikamaru smirked.

"Right." Ino nodded sarcastically, suddenly taking in Shikamaru's half-combed hair. "Hey, since when do you brush your hair? Looks like _you're _spending too much time with _me_."

Shikamaru leaned towards the blonde and lowered his voice. "Impossible."

"Huh?"

"I could never spend too muchtime with you."  
Ino blushed, and held her fist up to her mouth. "Uh…"

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything." Shikamaru retorted, leaning back in his seat. His face softened. "Sorry. If you don't feel comfortable with me saying stuff like that - "

"No," Ino said, smiling kindly. "It's okay. I don't mind."

"Good." Shikamaru nodded.

"Why good?"

"Um…don't worry." Shikamaru said, looking away. "Anyway, I gotta go. See you, Ino."

Ino lifted a hand as he stood up and walked out of the classroom. She felt slightly dizzy. Suddenly, Sakura jumped in front of her.

"What the – Sakura, where the hell did you come from?" Ino screeched.  
"What did Shikamaru have to say?"

"Um…" Ino looked away. "That he…could never spend too much time…with me."

Sakura straightened up. "NO WAY!"  
Ino hushed her, pulling at the pinkette's shoulders. "Don't go and make it public! I don't want rumours going around."

Sakura chuckled nervously; her way of apologising. She shook her head and sat down.

"By the way," Sakura said, raising an eyebrow. "You owe me fifty bucks."

**-x-**

"Morning, Sasuke!" Sakura called, speed walking towards the raven-haired boy stood by city tower.

"Uh, morning." Sasuke replied quietly, looking away. Sakura's face fell slightly.

"Something wrong?"

"No." Sasuke said sharply. "So, where should we go?"

"I was thinking we headed to Café Izumi and made a plan. I mean, if you don't like coffee, then - "

"No, Café Izumi's…cool. Let's go." Sasuke said, turning and walking in the direction of the café. Sakura glanced in front of her, into the back of her friend. She sighed. "Sasuke…you're really closed up. What's with you?"

"Trust me, it's nothing." Sasuke murmured, still not turning around. "Don't worry about it."

Sakura could feel her shoulders sag. "Okay."

They walked in silence for the whole journey. They ordered two coffees, then found a table in the corner of the café.

"So, um, I was thinking, um," Sakura stuttered. "We could organise, like, um, a day trip for them, and, um, we could tag along."

"That sounds great." Sasuke said, uninterested. He gazed out of the window thoughtfully. "Good idea."

Sakura stared down into her lap. "You know, I'm really glad you agreed to help me, Sasuke."  
"No problem."

"Um…Sasuke?" Sakura said, almost silently. She looked up at her long-time crush. "Do you…uh…do you like me?"

Sasuke returned the stare. His onyx eyes were set in an icy glare. "Sakura, we're friends. Don't ruin it by giving me all that crap about love. You _know _I'm not into girls, and I'm not into _you_."

Sakura reeled back, tears threatening. "Um, I'm sorry…"

Sasuke put his forehead in the palm of his hands. "No, it's okay. I'm just a little on edge, lately."

"No, it's…it's fine." Sakura murmured. She stood up and ran out of the café, crying.

**-x-**

**So? What did you think of it? **

**REVIEW!!**


	4. Heartbreak

**Yay! CONTINUATION!**

**Is that a word? Well, the red line thing hasn't popped up on Microsoft Word telling me it's not. **

**YAY!**

**Anyways…enjoy. :3**

_Chapter Three: Heartbreak_

"Sakura."

"Mmph."

"You gotta eat something."

Sakura turned her head away from the fork that Ino was waving under her nose. She hadn't been eating anything, nor did she plan to. Ino sighed. This was _bad_. Nobody could resist her mom's pancakes, Sakura included. Sakura was always the first one to ask for breakfast when she slept over Ino's.

"Oh, come on! Sasuke's always been a bastard. He's turned you down before. What's so different this time?" Ino asked, shaking her friend's shoulders until she made eye contact. Sakura spoke in monotone.

"It's the way he said it." She said quietly. The pinkette allowed herself to slide down off the sofa until her back was where her butt should've been. She ignored the carpet burns that had almost instantly formed on her knees.

"Sakura," Ino moaned, dragging her friend into a more comfortable position. "I hate it when you're like this. At least eat a little."

Sakura looked at Ino blankly. She plucked the small piece of pancake off the fork, licked it, then put it in the bin. "It touched my tongue, didn't it?"

"This is gonna be harder than I expected." Ino murmured. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Sakura shifted to get it, but Ino pressed her hands against the pinkette's shoulders.

"Oh, no you don't. I got it. You stay here." Ino commanded, running off down the hall to get the door. She pulled on the handle to see Shikamaru, in all his glory.

"Uh, Shikamaru." Ino said, a surprised expression forming on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Sasuke told me he'd snapped at Sakura, I said 'how is she', he said 'how should I know', and here I am." Shikamaru produced a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "I figured she'd need a little cheering up."

"That's so thoughtful." Ino said, smiling and tilting her head to the right a little. "Come on."

She shut the door behind the chocolate-haired boy and followed him down the hallway towards the living room.

"Hey, Sakura." Shikamaru said, putting on a smile. "I bought you some flowers."

"Are they from Sasuke?"

"Uh, no, but - "

"Don't want 'em."

Shikamaru flushed, more embarrassed than angry. He went to reply, but Ino grabbed his hand and dragged him into the kitchen.

"Best leave it at that. She's so depressed…I'm really worried." Ino said softly, loosening her grip on Shikamaru's wrist. "What do I do?"

"I really don't know." Shikamaru whispered. "She looks so…heartbroken."

"Tell me about it."

Sakura appeared in the doorframe, her eyes blank and glassy. "It's okay. You guys can go home. I can look after myself. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Ino said. "I mean, we can look after you."

"Please, I don't want to be a trouble. Sorry I was rude, Shikamaru. Those flowers are beautiful."

"Do you want 'em?"

"No."

Ino smiled comfortingly at Sakura. "Well, okay. Talk later?"

Sakura nodded as her friends left via the back door. Ino sighed as she and Shikamaru trudged up the driveway and into the cul de sac. She could feel her heart sink to the bottom of her feet.

"What do we do?" Ino asked desperately. "Sasuke totally ripped her apart."

"Again, I don't know." Shikamaru replied quietly. He plucked a single rose from the bouquet. "Just don't let it get you down."

He took the rose and slipped it behind her ear. Ino could feel herself blushing, but she smiled. "I won't."

"Um, guys?" a small voice said. It was Sakura, coming up the driveway. "Can I ask a favour?"

Ino turned around, flushing even more red than before. "Uh, uh, sure, Sakura."

She whipped the rose out from behind her ear and held it behind her back. She didn't want Sakura getting even more depressed.

"Can you, um, come with me?" Sakura asked quietly. "I want…to go and talk to Sasuke."

"Sakura, you know it takes more than a few hours for Sasuke to cool off." Shikamaru said. "It's been, what, four hours since he snapped? I'd wait until tomorrow."

"No, I want to see Sasuke." Sakura argued, raising her voice a little. "He said he's _on edge_. I want to know why."

Shikamaru and Ino exchanged the same look. Ino's eyes pleaded with Shikamaru. He nodded, and she smirked.

'_Yeah, that's right. Let wide-eyed Ino steal your soul._'

"Okay, let's go." Sakura said, a small smile forming on her lips.

The trio began to walk along the road, Sakura gripping Ino's hand.

**-x-**

"What do you - " Sasuke froze as he saw Sakura on his doorstep. "Sakura."

"Hey, Sasuke…can I talk to you?" Sakura asked feebly.

"You're not very good with words, Sakura." Sasuke said slowly. "I think it's best if you leave."

Sakura blinked, and her eyes dropped into a solid glare. Even Sasuke reeled back slightly. Ino gulped.

'_This could get ugly.'_

"Sasuke. I didn't come here to listen to your crap. I came here because…" Sakura paused to think of a reason. "Because I care. You said you were on edge, and I want to know why. I can help, Sasuke!"

Ino bit her lip and reached out for Shikamaru's hand. She gripped his thumb like a child, slightly scared how Sasuke would react.

"Right." Sasuke said quietly, looking down at his feet. "You can help, huh?"

"Yes!" Sakura cried, hot tears blurring her vision. "I swear, Sasuke, if you'd just open up to me… I can make you happy."

"I'm sorry, Sakura." Sasuke said.

"Please, just… just give me a chance. At least let me talk to you."

"…Fine. Ten minutes."

Sakura smiled wanly, slipped inside, and left Ino and Shikamaru stood on the doorstep.  
"Well, bye." Ino said, her shoulders slumping. She dropped Shikamaru's thumb. "At least she managed to get to him…"

"Yeah, that's step one. _One_." Shikamaru commented. "She's got a little way to go."

Ino nodded in agreement, smiling. "She'll win. I know Sakura. She's got a strong personality…even if Sasuke doesn't agree to any of her terms or whatever, she'll keep negotiating."

Shikamaru smirked. "You talk one hell of a lot, you know that?"

"I know."

Hand in hand, they walked back to Ino's house.

**-x-**

"Thanks for walking me back, Shikamaru." Ino said quietly, dropping Shikamaru's hand. "That was really nice of you."

"No worries. I didn't want you walking all that way by yourself. And don't give me all that 'I would've been fine by myself' crap. It's getting darker."

"Yeah, yeah." Ino murmured, rolling her eyes. "But thanks…um, Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?"

"Why…why do you like me?"

Shikamaru froze up slightly. That was an impossible question. There was too many questions.

"Because you're everything that I look for in a girl." He whispered. "You're pretty, and kind, and cute, and - "

"I get it." Ino interrupted, blushing. She smiled. "And that's very nice of you. Have a reward."

She stood up on tiptoes, and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

It was Shikamaru's turn to blush. "Um, you - "

"Didn't do that because I like you. To say thank you."

"Why thank you?"

"Shikamaru, don't be stupid." Ino chuckled, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "You always stay by me, even when I'm being a bitch. You always think I look good even when I just woke up…and I can tell that you care for me more than anyone."

"I…yeah."

"And…Shikamaru." Ino paused, looking into his eyes. "I care for you."

She turned and ran inside, smiling.


	5. Love Always

**Okay! So this is probably my latest update yet…**

**I don't have much to say now…**

**So here's Chapter Four!**

_Chapter Four: Love Always_

Ino lolled back on her bed, putting her small hands behind her head. She sighed, in total ecstasy. That one little peck on the cheek had changed _everything_. And now she'd started falling for him.

"Damn you, Shikamaru…" she muttered to herself, still grinning. "If this is how I feel about you, I don't even want to _know _what's going through your mind right now."

Ino felt like finding a mountain, and jumping off to see if she could fly. She felt like she could; she was on Cloud 9.

"Sakura…" she whispered. "I gotta call Sakura!"

Ino sat up, rummaging in her pocket for her cell phone. She whipped it out, pressed '3' (yes, she had Sakura on speed dial) and sucked her teeth impatiently as she listened to the dial tone. After about 6 rings, Sakura's voice mail echoed into Ino's ear.

"_Hi, it's Sakura! I'm not here right now,_" the pre-recorded message said. "_But leave a message and I'll get back to you!_"

Ino's shoulders slumped. She made a mental comparison to the Sakura in the voicemail message, and the Sakura she'd heard today. Voicemail Sakura sounded one hell of a lot happier, more carefree, more Sasuke-Drama-less.

"Sakura, it's Ino." She said into the phone, remembering to start her message. "Call me as soon as. We gotta talk."

**-x-**

An hour and a half later, Ino and Sakura were sat at the pinkette's kitchen table, chatting.

"…so then Sasuke was like, 'I never noticed' and I'm all, 'I kinda guessed' and then…" Sakura took in a deep breath, grinning. "He kissed me."

"Oh my god!" Ino shrieked, standing up. "That's like, forsurely awesome!"

"I know, right!" Sakura replied equally as loud, blushing a little. "I'm so happy…it's weird that he's gone to cold and hateful to apologetic and romantic in a couple of hours."

"You're so lucky, Saku." Ino sighed, using Sakura's childhood nickname. "I mean, you're dating _Uchiha Sasuke._ I can't believe it!"

"Me either…" Sakura paused. "But then again, aren't you dating Shikamaru now?"

"No…not…really…" Ino murmured, fiddling with her fingers. "It's complicated."

"What's so complicated?" Sakura cried. "He loves you, you kind of like him. Simple!"

Ino froze at Sakura's second phrase. 'He _loves _you'. She looked up at her green eyed friend.

"What?" she whispered.

"Sasuke told me…that Shikamaru told him…that he loves you." Sakura replied slowly, sounding out the syllables. She shrugged. "True story."

Ino looked away, blushing bright red. She knew that Shikamaru liked her, but he never said anything about love. And knowing Shikamaru, it would turn out to be undying, resilient, unconditional love.

Crap.

_He _loves _me._

_No way. _

_No. Friggin'. Way._

**-x-**

"Ino!"

She turned around, and her face melted into a small grimace. "Hi, Shikamaru."

As he caught up with her, she linked her arm loosely through the crook of his elbow. His messy brown hair was sticking up in all directions, like he'd been tossing and turning a lot in the night. Ino's had looked the same, before she brushed it and drowned it in hairspray.

"So, um, I need to ask you something." She said quietly, avoiding eye contact. "Is it true…that you…"

"That I what?"

"That you love me?" she blurted out, her face slightly frantic.

Shikamaru paused, looking away. He bit his lip gently, and Ino let go of his arm.

"I'm not going to talk to you until you tell me!"

"Yes, okay!" Shikamaru shouted back. "I _love _you!"

The hall went silent. Ino blinked, her face tinted pink. Tears welled up in her eyes. Shikamaru put his arms out and turned to the gawking crowd.

"That's right, keep staring." He said, a twang of fierceness in his tone. "I love Yamanaka Ino. I loved her, I love her, and I will _always love her_."

He turned around to face Ino again, and kissed her fully, fiercely on the lips.

**Wow. That was like, the shortest chapter ever. I'm probably gonna shorten the short a little…so the next couple of chapters may well be the last…**

**Only because:**

**I'm running out of ideas.**

**I want to work on my Seddie fic. **

**I have an idea for an Ouran High School Host Club fic, which I want to get started on.**

**So sorry to the people who are LLOATI fans; I might do a sequel!!**


	6. Forgiven

**Chapter five; final chapter. :(**

**This is also very short, just to wrap it up…**

**I'm so sorry! But I haven't got a clue what else to write…**

**BUT!**

**I will do a sequel for you guys.**

_Chapter Five: Forgiven_

Ino pulled back, her eyes wide with surprise and…happiness? No. _No no no no no._

"Shi-Shikamaru…" she whispered, lightly brushing her lips with her finger tips. "Did you… did you just…"

"Yes." Shikamaru replied, pulling her in for a tight hug. "I did."

Ino bit her lower lip, her arms tense at her sides. She blinked, as a loud clap echoed into the air. She looked to her left, and there stood Sakura, her pale hands together. She clapped again, and Sasuke – who was stood right next to her – copied. Ino smiled softly, as more people began to clap.

After a couple of seconds, the entire crowd was in fits of applause and cheering. Almost instantly, Ino hugged back.

"Please, promise me." Shikamaru whispered, stroking Ino's hair. "Promise me that you believe me when I say I love you."

"I promise." Ino replied in a quiet tone. "I believe you. And…"

She stood up and kissed him again. "Right back atcha."

**Yeah, okay. I'm sorry this is so short…**

**Well, I hope you liked the story! Bye!**


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